Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, is carrying Senate Bill 1221, which would ban hunters from using hounds when chasing bears and bobcats. Lieu said the dogs can hurt animals other than the intended prey. Or, the bears or bobcats could turn and harm the dogs.

Lieu said he doesn’t hunt. “But I know there are hunters who hunt bears without hounds. It’s doable,” he said.

Joe Sovinsky, director of Wilderness Unlimited in San Diego, does hunt bears without hounds. But he thinks hunters should be allowed to use dogs if they wish.

“The houndsmen who run their dogs (after bears) are respective people. They love their dogs,” he said. An advantage is that a treed bear can be checked first to make sure it is not a cub or a pregnant or nursing female.

That’s one of the points raised by Josh Brones, president of California Houndsmen for Conservation based in Sacramento County.

“Using dogs allows you to catch and release,” said Brones, who estimates that he “can count on one hand” the number of bears he has killed in 26 years.

“It’s very similar to catch and release fishing,” he said. Hunters are allowed to take only one bear per season and only 1,700 can be killed annually statewide.

Ali Crumpacker, director of the Ramona-based Animal Care Center that includes 16 rescued bobcats, is not swayed. She said her primary concern is the danger to the dogs.

“Bobcats fight back. It’s not uncommon to find dogs are injured,” she said. “These cats can be pretty vicious.”

Other key measures

•Repealing a mandate that the state reimburse local governments when strays are kept longer than three days in shelters. The requirement cost the state $46.3 million over the past two years. Gov. Jerry Brown proposes to not cover the extra days, but animal-rights advocates say that will force financially challenged shelters to euthanize animals more quickly.

•Senate Bill 1229 would bar landowners from requiring tenants to have their pets declawed or “devocalized.”

•Senate Bill 1145 would increase penalties for cockfighting, including fines on spectators.